Airlines get ultimatum on new safety device

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has given domestic airlines six months ultimatum to install the newest safety gadget in the aviation industry, Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) in their aircraft or face severe sanctions.

The Director-General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lagos while fielding questions from journalists at the ongoing Airbus Industry Workshop for indigenous airline operators.

He, however, said that so far, all the country’s airline operators were interested in fixing the equipment into their airplanes and disclosed that it cost NCAA about $30,000 to acquire and install the equipment in its headquarters in Lagos.

For the airlines, he said it would cost them more, but they could pay in installment to the manufacturer of the equipment after the initial payment of about $60, 000 on each aircraft.

He said, “I think we are giving them six months to install the gadgets in their airplanes. We need to give them sometime. It is not a thing you can do in one day. After that, no aeroplane would operate in the public category without the safety device. I think it is good to promote safety in the industry.

“Any snag would be detected automatically. Every one of them wants to do it. Look, if you think this is expensive, go and try accident. It is the latest in the world. You know we have been complaining that pilots don’t record snags in their logbooks, but this automatically records everything. You can’t hide or change it. Everyone would have it; the airline and even the NCAA. We will know the problem and we would be able to fix it.

“It is a fraction of the money they will use to buy an airplane. It’s nothing. The system entirely for NCAA cost us about $30, 000. For the airlines, we are talking of initial payment of $60,000 and then a yearly payment till they finish paying.”

On the workshop, Demuren commended the aircraft manufacturer for conducting the training for Nigerian airline operators, saying that this would further boost safety in the Nigerian aviation industry.

Also speaking on the issue, the International Safety Programme Director, Airbus, Mr. Marc Ballion, said that the AFIRS would automatically be fixed on all its aircraft from 2015.